Systemic complications less frequent following cataract surgery compared with other low-risk procedures in Medicare beneficiaries<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
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WEDNESDAY, Oct. 19, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Anesthesia care is more common among Medicare beneficiaries undergoing cataract surgery versus other low-risk procedures, and fewer cataract surgery patients experience systemic complications within seven days, according to a study published online Oct. 3 in JAMA Internal Medicine<\/em>.<\/p>\n Dhivya Perumal, M.D., from the University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues examined predictors of anesthesia care in Medicare beneficiaries undergoing cataract surgery in 2017 in a retrospective cohort study including Medicare beneficiaries aged 66 years or older. In addition, anesthesia care was compared for cataract surgery and other elective, low-risk, outpatient procedures. Data were included for 36,652 cataract surgery patients.<\/p>\n The researchers found that anesthesia care was more common among patients undergoing cataract surgery compared with other low-risk procedures (89.8 percent versus range of <1 to 70.2 percent). No strong correlation was seen for patient age or for the Charlson Comorbidity Index with anesthesia care for cataract surgery; however, anesthesia care was predicted by a model composed of a single variable identifying the ophthalmologist (C statistic, 0.96). Overall, 6.0 and 76.6 percent of the ophthalmologists never and always used anesthesia care, while 17.4 percent used it for only a subset of patients. Compared with patients undergoing other low-risk procedures, fewer cataract surgery patients experienced systemic complications within seven days (7.7 versus 13.2 to 52.2 percent, respectively).<\/p>\n “Because most ophthalmologists always use anesthesia care for cataract surgery, these findings suggest an opportunity to use anesthesia care more selectively in patients undergoing cataract surgery,” the authors write.<\/p>\n One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.<\/p>\n Abstract\/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n <\/i><\/p>\n